thoughts from a Christian

Lust. Flesh. Carnal. Sex. These are words that carry a strong negative stigma to some while to others, it carries desire, cravings, and reinforcement of a way of life. It is a thorn in the flesh for many, teenagers and adults, single and married alike. Our moth-like tendencies are being drawn to the fleshly, lust driven flame.

It is taboo. People are hesitant to speak about it out of embarrassment while other refuse to speak about it out of shame. Church’s feel it is too difficult a topic to speak about, too close to home, to sensitive an issue that it is best to keep quiet rather than offend others. Most church’s would rather preach about the spiritual, neglecting the flesh. It’s a slight nod toward dualism. If we ignore it and possibly imply various circumstantial teachings that are applicable to the taboo subject, then quite possibly, we hope that it may speak to them.

It simply doesn’t work that way. It needs to be addressed, not just in one post of a blog rant, not just one sermon series behind the pulpit, not just one week night support group, but from the very bowels of humanity’s livelihood. Parents need to get involved, pastors need to get involved, church leaders need to get involved, peers need to get involved… and BE involved. It is a constant battle. And no longer can we argue that sexual sin is simply a sin that affects the body and not the soul. Let’s step away from the application of dualistic theology when it comes to sexual matters. Sexual sins affect far more than that.

In 1 Corinthians 6:13-18, we are given explicit instruction regarding sexual sin. Verse 13: “Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods, but God will destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.” The context here in this passage written by Paul is in regards to glorifying God both in body and spirit. Paul addresses the food that we eat. But he extends his message to engagements of sexual acts. For some of your translations, the words “sexual immorality” is translated fornication. The Greek word for “sexual immorality” or “fornication” is porneia, from which we derive the English word pornography. It speaks of “illicit sexual intercourse.” This speaks of any sexual relations that are not permitted or unlawful. This can include adultery. But it also distances itself from adultery in that adultery means sex outside of marriage whereas fornication can mean sex before marriage.

In verse 18, Paul tells us to flee fornication. It’s not a command, but rather a plea and strong wish, an urging by the apostle Paul for us to keep fleeing fornication. The emphasis is placed on the fact that we need to constantly flee fornication. It’s not a single act. We don’t run away once and feel as if we’ve escaped it. We must constantly flee. And Paul did not indicate a time when we should stop fleeing it, indicating that we must continue to flee sexual immorality even after marriage. Just because some of us are now married does not mean we are exempt from sexual temptation.

Here is the reason why we must respect these boundaries for sex, no fornication, no adultery. It is because sexual immorality is a sin against our own body, verse 18, and as we’ve been told in verse 15, our bodies are members of Christ. “The Christian’s body is a spiritual temple in which Christ lives, therefore when a believer commits a sexual sin, it involves Christ…All sexual sin is harlotry. There is a sense in which sexual sin destroys a person like no other, because it is so intimate and entangling, corrupting on the deepest human level.”[1]

This is the reason why we must abstain from and flee sexual immorality. If you have given your life to the Lord, if you have accepted Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior, you are a Christian. And “a Christian’s body belongs to the Lord, is a member of Christ, and is the Holy Spirit’s temple. Every act of fornication, adultery, or any other sin is committed by the believer in the sanctuary, the Holy of Holies, where God dwells.”[2] As Paul reminds us, every other sin that man does is outside the body. But any sexual immorality is a sin against our own body, the temple of the Holy Spirit, our oneness in Christ.

It involves more than our flesh. And we must consider this. It’s a battle that rages on, a sin that continues to grow and fester. It won’t end with one night of “passion.” It won’t end with magazine or video of pornography. It won’t end with one act of weakness. And it definitely won’t end because we say it will.

When we engage in sexual activities, we sin against our own body, the temple of the Holy Spirit. And definitely after this post, another one will be written. Because after reading it, many of us will have pre-marital sex, commit adultery against our spouse, look at pornography, engage in oral sex, and anything else that gets us off.

Lets call a spade a spade. Amongst ourselves and within us… this is war.

About

Justin Daniel Isidro Lacanilao Jr. was born in Manila, Philippines and was named after his late paternal grandfather, Justino Lacanilao. His parents are Daniel Magsino and Sharon Leigh Isidro Lacanilao. He has two sisters, Ashley (oldest) and Erin (youngest). He was led to the Lord by his grandfather Dr. Gadiel Isidro and father Daniel in September 1990.

Justin’s life verse is from Romans 8:18 which states, “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” (KJV)

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